Subject: Re: [Harp-L] reed rattle or buzz

[EGS1217@xxxxxxx]

Hi Ken:
 
Obviously I'm far too late for Seth's gig....didn't get this until  after 
7p.m. ( I get the Digest), but didn't read it until now...after  1:a.m. 
 
If it is one of the longer reeds buzzing against the lid (logical because  
when the screws were loose they weren't holding the cover on enough to  allow it 
to happen..but when he held the cover down, it did... then what  would 
embossing the reed slot do?....does that allow the reed to move back  down into the 
slot (thereby seating it properly and not coming up far  enough to hit the 
cover plate again?)...
 
or....I'm wondering if he simply can't 'bump up' (dent) the cover plate a  
tad from the inside ...just enough to give that reed clearance?  
 
Would that help, or am I way offbase here?
 
...only guessing (and admittedly not as knowledgeable about diatonics  as 
chromatics)..
 
Elizabeth
 
"Message: 13
Date: Sat, 21 Mar 2009 16:13:01 -0700 (PDT)
From: Ken  Hildebrand <airmojoken@xxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] reed rattle or  buzz
To: Harp- L <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>, Seth Galitzer  <sethgali@xxxxxxxxx>


The reed may be hitting the reed slot just  a tad...

remove the reed plate and hold it up to a light to see if you  can see where 
the reed end might be very close to the reed slot or it may have a  burr, or 
the reed plate gap may have a burr.

A reed wrench works the best  to move it slightly away from the edge.

If you don't have a reed wrench  then you might want to try a very thin 
feeler gauge or maybe even dental floss  to clear the burr, or move the reed away 
from the reed plate gap  edge.

Best to always have reed wrenches!

Hope this  helps...

Ken H in OH

--- On Sat, 3/21/09, Seth Galitzer  <sethgali@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> From: Seth Galitzer  <sethgali@xxxxxxxxx>
> Subject: [Harp-L] reed rattle or buzz
>  To: "Harp- L" <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
> Date: Saturday, March 21, 2009,  2:36 PM
> Hi all,
> 
> Wouldn't ya know it, I have to buy an  emergency harp for a
> gig tonight
> and I seem to have a problem  with it.  When I play a
> draw 1, even very
> lightly, I hear a  loud buzz or rattle, like something is
> loose in
> there.   It's a Special 20, and I paid way to much for
> it at my local
>  music store, but I had to have it for tonight.  I took
> off the  covers
> and reed plates and didn't see anything obviously broken  or
> dislodged,
> though I've never done this sort of thing before  so I could
> have very
> well missed something.  I did notice  the following
> detail: when I put
> the reed plates on by only  fastening the two outer-most
> reedplate
> screws, the buzzing did  not appear.  As soon as I
> added one more
> reedplate screw  (anywhere) or the covers (by holding them
> on), the
> buzz came  back.  I tried covering up other reeds with
> the covers off
>  to see if I could make the buzz go away, but no such luck.
> 
>  Anybody got any ideas that might help correct this before
> gig  time?
> I've never done maintenance work before, so I can't do any
>  decent
> gapping or embossing in a hurry.  I need this harp  for
> tonight and
> will play with it in its current state if  necessary. 
> I also just paid
> nearly $50 for it (!) and  don't want to wreck it.  I
> know I'm asking a
> lot, but I'm  desperate.  Any advice is welcome.
> 
> Thanks.
>  Seth
> 
> -- 
> The beatings will continue until morale has  improved.
>  _______________________________________________
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